Rylund Johnson

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In 2019, the NWT Association of Communities passed a resolution asking for permission to have alternative voting methods such as online voting or telephone voting. I note our own territorial election allows this to happen, so my question to the Minister of MACA is: Are we going to allow our communities the option of having online or telephone voting? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I am concerned about the timing of all of this. If we are waiting for the working group and the terms of reference in each department, here we sit in another session without a meaningful piece of legislation to actually implement this, without any significant legislation which has devolved powers or changed the system of laws. I believe that we are behind on our legislative agenda. Has any legislation been identified that will bring forward declaration changes?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Our mandate commits to a United Nations declaration terms of reference working group being created by summer 2020. My question for the Premier is: Have those terms of reference been created, and can they be released? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. MACA has a lot of legislative work to do. This is a small one. I recognize it's not as big a priority as the Fire Prevention Act, but considering that I don't see any MACA legislation coming forward in this Assembly or, I believe, the next year, I think a small, simple bill will be a win for this department, showing they can actually pass legislation. My question is: Is the Minister willing to direct her department to share some of the policy work that has been done in this area, perhaps a jurisdictional scan. I know Ontario lets the municipalities vote online. The...

I think there is some confusion here in the small amount of work it is to allow them municipalities to have online voting. It is simply a permissive clause. It's probably one or two sections in the legislation, and then they have to develop their own bylaws to do that. I recognize that the NWT has identified the Property Assessment Taxation Act, the Fire Prevention Act, and the Seniors and People with Disabilities Act for changes, but those are significant overhauls they've been asking for for years. What I am asking for is for MACA, which has failed to bring forward any legislation thus far...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I still am concerned about the GNWT's own role in this. What I am envisioning is each department being directed to identify their legislation and gaps; each piece of legislation having clauses that allow self-government to happen; each department looking at service standards such that self-government can happen. I think that there is a lot of work to be done within our own government, and I am not seeing that work be done. I have not heard any updates from that. Mr. Speaker, what I am looking for is: Are the departments developing action plans for their own areas of...

I look forward to seeing the progress of that work, and I think that bringing forward what the other jurisdictions have done to the working group is a good first step, although I believe that working group is only half of this work. The other half of this work is looking at our own internal processes and looking at our own departments and the over 5,000 civil servants we have and directing those departments to change their processes to make sure that they are implementing the declaration and truly being a government living reconciliation. Each department was directed in their mandate letter to...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am glad to see that the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People was a priority for this Assembly and was at the heart of many of our Premier's mandate letters to Ministers. I am thankful that direction went in to those Ministers. However, those words seem to have a disconnect with actual changes within the over 5,000 civil servants on the ground. Our mandate committed that, by summer 2020, a terms of reference would be developed, as well as a working group with Indigenous governments to create an implementation plan for the United Nations...

Mr. Speaker, Michael Burchill, former constituency assistant for Kam Lake, Frame Lake, Yellowknife Centre, and my friend, passed away over the holiday season. He was not yet 30 years old, but in his short time on this earth and in our North, he worked tirelessly to help others.

From a young age, Mike felt a calling to serve. Whether volunteering every available hour to a territorial campaign or something small like helping a friend carry groceries, Mike was there. Mike was always there. I don't think I've met anyone who simply cared about others the way Mike did. His altruism was unironic, his...

The problem with this issue is that, if services are going to end, my constituents want some time to perhaps set up their own volunteer service. If the city can't reach agreement with MACA, then, perhaps, the Dettah fire services can be upgraded and certified to provide services. However, this all takes time, and it's unlikely to be done by April 1st. As such, the best option here is to get some sort of interim agreement with the City of Yellowknife so that other options can be explored in time. Do we have a sense of how long that will take? I hear the Minister say she will have an update for...